Saturday, October 11, 2008

Edward II (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) – 10/11/08

With his "What the Butler Saw" at the Court last season, and now "Edward II" at the Chicago Shakespeare, the Hypocrite's Sean Graney is finally getting the resources to fully realize his vividly outsized visions. What Sean does well in this promenade production is to hurl the audience through a series of horrifying events such that the effect is cumulative and not one-off. My criticism of Sean's work in general applies here as well: although he deals with his actors commendably, there seems to be sloppiness and incohesiveness in his design decisions. All in all, though, this is an exhilarating ride.